Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Yan An (Agenzia Fides) - The ordination of three new deacons, celebrated on August 30, concluded the annual retreat of the clergy of the diocese of Yan An (Yulin), in the Shaan Xi Province. According to information gathered by Fides, the diocese of Yan An is a community full of pastoral and missionary enthusiasm, like many other Catholic communities in mainland China, which has long felt the need to also take care of vocations and the spiritual deepening of priests. Therefore the Bishop Coadjutor of the diocese, His Exc. Mgr. Giovanni Battista Yang Xiaoting, aims at the vocational and spiritual formation as the main priority of his Episcopate. From 26 to 30 August the priests of the diocese, together with those of the diocese of Ning Xia, lived their annual retreat. Don Wang He Ping, of the diocese of Beijing, offered a rich spiritual teaching to the 29 priests of the two dioceses, who also shared the difficulties they encounter in their pastoral work and management of parishes, in combining the relation between spirituality and evangelization, priesthood and spirituality, public relations and spirituality .... On August 30, Mgr. Yang presided the ordination of three new deacons. More than 30 priests concelebrated the solemn liturgy.
The current ecclesiastical district of Yan'an (Yulin), which covers an area of 80,000 sq km in the countryside of north Shaanxi, has about 50,000 faithful, 20 priests, about 10 seminarians and a 24 religious women belonging to the two Congregations of the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of China and the Missionaries of Mary. There are 20 churches, about 20 other places of worship, three rural health clinics and a Catholic elementary school.
Mgr. Giovanni Battista Yang Xiaoting, 46 years old and19 years of priesthood, was consecrated Bishop Coadjutor of Yan'an (Yulin) on July 15, 2010, and took office on March 25, 2011, Solemnity of the Annunciation. He was approved by the Holy See for the episcopate and the government Authorities allowed his ordination. (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 01/09/2011)
